Child Welfare Specialist

LITTLE CITY FOUNDATION • Matteson, IL

4d • $45,000 - $55,000

About The Position

To initiate, facilitate, and perform a variety of casework-related functions pertaining to foster care and adoption within the child welfare system in Illinois. To perform all casework ensuring the safety, well-being and permanency of the children assigned to their caseload.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited school and shall be under the supervision of a qualified child welfare supervisor.
• Must be licensed as a Child Welfare Employee (CWEL) in the state of Illinois or eligible to receive licensure within the first 90-days of employment.
• Must have excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Must be proficient in the use of a computer to complete all documentation, and proficient with entering case-related documentation into a centralized database.
• Child Welfare Specialists (CWS) must possess their own vehicle and have valid auto insurance in order to perform the duties necessary as outlined herein.

Nice To Haves

• 1 year of relevant experience working with children with developmental, behavioral, and/or emotional challenges preferred.

Responsibilities

• Child Welfare Specialists (CWS) are responsible for a blended, weighted caseload of approximately 10 clients (with an agency caseload ratio of being 15:1 or less, and total number of visits being approximately 25 or less a month).
• Assesses the on-going safety and well-being of the child in his/her/their foster home through 3x/month in-person contacts with the youth, with two of the visits being within the home each month.
• Engages in assessment and treatment planning including CANS assessments, Service Plans and comprehensive case review documents required by Federally-mandated Administrative Case Reviews (ACR) updated 2x/year; completing Vineland, Ansell-Casey and other assessments as applicable; Social History/Integrated Assessment upon case opening; and other assessments and documentation as applicable.
• Maintains regular, ongoing contacts with and provides counsel and training for biological parents of children in the foster care program in order to facilitate a successful reunification when applicable to the case per the Court-set goal.
• As required and detailed in DCFS Procedure Aristotle P, CWS will ensure siblings visit 2x/month, and/or 1x/ a month for a minimum of four hours as clinically appropriate in order to maintain a relationship between the child and his/her/their biological siblings.
• Responsible for the upkeep of child’s files and including all essential documentation per DCFS Administrative Procedure 5 in order to comply with Federal, State and Agency Audits monthly, or as selected for audit.
• Child Welfare Specialists are responsible for completing comprehensive monthly case notes by the 5th of every month in the statewide computer database (SACWIS).
• Emergency, After Hours On-Call responsibility once every 6-8 weeks at a minimum for an entire week, with the CWS being the primary point of contact after hours and on weekends.
• Engage in on-going continuous quality improvement (CQI) to ensure upkeep of critical records required for the case record, and as detailed by the program.
• Assures that DCFS policies and procedures, and all applicable laws, rules, and policies are followed.
• Child Welfare Specialists value teamwork and work cooperatively with other staff in the Foster Care and Adoption Program, Little City Agency, DCFS, and collateral providers.
• Responsible for scheduling and leading the facilitation of quarterly staffings, Child and Family Team Meetings (CFTM), that include all parties to the case such as foster parents, biological family members, the youth, service providers, legal, and more, with the purpose of discussing progress towards permanency, progress in services, and monitor safety.
• Must engage in regular Supervision with your direct supervisor to discuss case related matters, promote professional development and growth, clinically staff case-issues, receive support, and the likes.
• Will attend required program meetings and agency-mandated meetings including the monthly Foster Care and Adoption Team Meeting, All Staff Meeting, joint supervisions, and other staffings as required.
• Attends Court Hearings that occur every six months at a minimum and represents the child’s best interest in juvenile court.
• Advocates for the youth in care by visiting the child as school at least twice per year to monitor the appropriateness of the school setting and attends all individual education plan meetings (IEP) and disciplinary meetings.
• Acts as a professional representative of Little City Foundation during all interactions internally and externally.
• Responsible for all safety activities in your workplace and immediately report all accidents and safety hazards to your supervisor.
• Successfully completes Little City Foundation required training, re-training, and any additional training as required by Little City Foundation policies and practices and DCFS CWEL licensure, or as assigned by his or her immediate supervisor.
• Other duties as assigned by your supervisor.

Benefits

• Little City offers competitive salaries and benefits for eligible employees such as medical, dental, and vision insurance, short-term and long-term disability, 401(k) and Roth 401(k) retirement plans with employer match, Flexible Spending Accounts ( FSA), life insurance, critical illness, hospital indemnity, paid holidays, paid time off (vacation, personal, and sick time), and an employee assistance program.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees